


Ice Dodging

by Pidgeapodge



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Family, Friendship, Gen, Proud Parents, Rite of Passage, Trust, ice dodging
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:14:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26533447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pidgeapodge/pseuds/Pidgeapodge
Summary: Fourteen-year-old Bumi prepares to make his Ice Dodging rite of passage. He may pass or fail on his own, but at least he has his friends by his side.
Relationships: Bumi II & Izumi (Avatar)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21





	Ice Dodging

“You excited, Bumi?” asked Izumi. 

Bumi nodded, but truthfully, he was feeling nervous. He was finally fourteen, and old enough to participate in the Water Tribe rite of passage. At least, old enough to participate as the leader. 

In order to properly Ice Dodge, Bumi needed two friends to control the mainsail and jib, while he steered and called out instructions to them. Completing the rite of passage would earn him the Mark of the Wise, and make him a man in the eyes of the tribe. His Uncle Sokka would be observing the rite, though he would not be allowed to help. As Bumi had been told, he would have to pass or fail on his own.

Choosing two friends to help him had been easy. His family was visiting the Southern Water Tribe for the Glacier Spirits Festival, and Fire Lord Zuko and his family were visiting as well. Zuko’s daughter, Princess Izumi, was fifteen, and she and Bumi were good friends. Even apart, they stayed in contact as pen pals. Izumi was ecstatic to be offered to play a part in something so important to Bumi. 

The other person Bumi chose was Ren, Uncle Sokka’s daughter. She was twelve years old with her twin brother, Koda. He chose Ren instead of her brother because Koda would do his own Ice Dodging when he was fourteen. 

Bumi felt the nervousness churn in his stomach, while Izumi almost bounced with excitement. Would he be able to do it? Would he crash into the ice? What if he failed?

He felt a weight on his shoulder and turned to see Izumi placing a hand there. 

“It’ll be fine, Bumi. Trust me.” 

Bumi nodded, but he didn’t trust himself to speak. 

Sokka came into the room, his daughter trailing behind him. “You ready, kiddo?”

Bumi nodded once again, and followed Sokka outside to the boat. By the boat, Bumi’s family stood. His parents, Aang and Katara; his siblings, nine-year-old Kya and six-year-old Tenzin; Aunt Suki and Koda; Uncle Zuko and Aunt Mai, and even Izumi’s boyfriend Kenji. Aunt Toph and Lin couldn’t make it, since Toph was pregnant and preferred to stay in Republic City. 

Bumi looked at all the people who came to support him. Kya and Tenzin were jumping up and down, calling “Yay Bumi!” Mai was wrapped up in a heavy red parka and a thick scarf, unable to firebend herself some warmth. 

“Alright, ready to set sail?” asked Sokka. 

Bumi nodded slowly, nervous, while Izumi and Ren nodded enthusiastically. Bumi looked at them. Izumi’s glasses were fogging up, and she was already shivering, even with the Water Tribe-style parka in Fire Nation red that she had been given as a gift for coming. Ren looked completely at ease, wearing a blue parka and with a blue headband around her brown hair, Kyoshi Island style. 

“Then climb aboard, all of you. You each know your positions?” 

Bumi nodded. He turned to Ren and Izumi. “Ren, you take the mainsail. You’ll need to keep control against the winds, so be brave. Izumi, you take the jib over there.” Bumi pointed to the jib. “You’ll need to keep a steady hand, or we’ll all go down. Yours is a position of trust.” 

Izumi nodded, placing a gloved hand on the jib while Ren pulled the rope attached to the mainsail.

Sokka nodded. “And you, Bumi, will steer and call the shots. Lead wisely. For this to be done properly, I cannot help. You pass or fail on your own.” Sokka sat down cross-legged at the bow. 

Bumi swallowed and put his hand on the tiller that would steer the boat. “Ready everyone?” he called.

“Ready!”

“Alright, then.” Bumi took a deep breath. “Let’s go! Ren, more sail! Izumi, hard on the jib!” 

The two girls pulled at their respective sails, and the boat caught the wind and took off into the water. 

Bumi kept one hand on the tiller and shielded his face. He could see a mass of icebergs approaching from the starboard side. 

“Ren, ease up on the sail! Izumi, keep going, just like that!” Bumi eased the tiller, turning the boat port and avoiding the icebergs. More icebergs appeared, dead ahead. Buni forgot about his nervousness, and threw himself into the moment. Quickly calculating what needed to be done, he began calling out orders. 

“Izumi, less job! Ren, steady! Okay, Ren, hard on the mainsail! Izumi, slowly go harder on the jib!” As he called out orders, Bumi worked the tiller. Together they steered the boat through the mass of icebergs coming in from both sides, just narrowly missing some. Finally, they make it out of the ice field into open waters.

Sokka nodded solemnly and stood up. “Congratulations, Bumi. You have proved yourself. Let’s take this boat back around to the harbor.” He smiled at Bumi, clearly proud of his nephew. 

Bumi felt pride swirl in his chest, too. Bumi called out more instructions to Izumi and Ren, angling the boat so that they went around the ice field into the clear harbor. 

The family was waiting for them when they arrived. Bumi, Ren, and Izumi shored up the boat by the dock, and Sokka tied the mooring rope. 

The four of them disembarked from the boat, and Bumi, Ren, and Izumi lined up in front of Sokka. Sokka took a bowl of cuttlefish ink and stepped in front of Bumi.

“The spirits of water bear witness to these marks. For Bumi, the Mark of the Wise.” Sokka dipped his thumb in the ink and drew a symbol on Bumi’s forehead: an arc with a dot underneath it.

Sokka moved to his daughter and dipped his thumb in the ink again. “For Ren, the Mark of the Brave.” He painted a crescent moon symbol on her brow. Ren grinned up at her father. Finally, he moved to Izumi.

“For Izumi, the Mark of the Trusted,” said Sokka, painting an arc on Izumi’s forehead. “You are now an honorary member of the Water Tribe.” The crown princess of the Fire Nation looked elated. 

Sokka made his way back to Bumi, wrapping him in a polar bear dog hug. “Congrats, buddy.”

The rest of the family approached and hugged the participants. Lots of people congratulated Bumi for completing his rite of passage. 

But for Bumi, nothing could be any sweeter than the look of pride on both his parents’ faces as they hugged him tight.

**Author's Note:**

> Ren's name is the Japanese pronunciation of 蓮, pronounced "Lian" in Chinese, which means "Lotus." I wanted a Kyoshi Island sounding name, so I went towards Japanese. It was either that or "Yuki" (meaning "Snow"), but then it'd rhyme with "Suki" and I didn't want to get confusing.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this! I enjoy the idea of Bumi and Izumi being platonic best friends. Guys and girls can be friends without falling in love! 
> 
> Comments are appreciated! :D


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